Cover for rotary brush sweepers



April 22, 1952 H. o. BEYER ET AL 2,594,116

COVER FOR ROTARY BRUSH SWEEPERS Filed March 8, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet l Henry 0. Beyer Frank M. Bauman INVENTORS.

April 22, 1952 H. o. BEYER ET AL 2,594,116

COVER FOR ROTARY BRUSH SWEEPERS Filed March 8, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 64 74 .76 Henry 0. Beyer F ran/r M. Bauman INVENTORS.

April 22, 1952 BEYER TAL 2,594,116 COVER FOR ROTARY BRUSH SWEEPERS Filed March 8, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 5 Fly. 4.

Henry 0. Beyer F ran/r M. Bauman INVENTORS.

Patented Apr. 22, 1952 UFFICE COVER FOR ROTARY BRUSH SWEEPEBS Henry 0. Beyer and Frank Bauznan,

Morton, Ill.

Application March 8, 1948, Serial-No. 13,618

6*Claims. 1

This invention relates to a cover for a rotary brush sweeper and more particularly to a cover for a rotary brush sweeper, which is propelled by a tractor or similar vehicle, and has for its primary object to impound dirt or other foreign particles, so as to enable the sweeper to sweep the dirt, rubbish or other particles from the street and, at the same time, to collect the dirt and rubbish and conve it to :a suitable depositing zone.

Another object of this invention is to retain or confine, adjacent to the rotary brush, any dust currents which will be created by the rotating movement of the brush in contact with the surface of a street, highway or the like.

Another object of this invention is to enable a sweeper, such as a street sweeper or the like, to serve in a dual capacity, as a sweeper and as a dirt rubbish collecting device, so that the dirt and rubbish swept up by the sweeper is retained within a suitable cover or'housing for the sweeper and is prevented from seeping out to form windrows, along the path of the sweeper.

Another object of this invention is to provide means whereby the cover overlying the sweeper and retaining the dirt or rubbish therein, is lifted from engagement with the ground to allow the dirt or rubbish therein, to be freed and piled in a suitable depositing area.

A meritorious feature of this invention resides in the provision of a hood, overlying the upper portion of a rotary sweeper, with a flexible depending skirt positioned in the front of the sweeper and engaging the ground and a flexible shield depending from one end of the hood to a point in engagement with the ground, so that with an open end of the hood positioned in a leading angle, the dirt or rubbish swept up by the sweeper is impounded or retained within the hood and depending skirt.

These and ancillary objects and other meritorious features are attainedby this invention, a preferred embodiment of which is set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is aperspective view of a tractor propelled rotary sweeper, illustrating a'cover positioned over the rotary sweeper, the coverbeing constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of this invention;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view, showing the side cover, secured at one end of the rotary sweeper;

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of thecover comprising an upper hood construction and or depending flexible skirt;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 5-5 of Figure 4 Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 6-8 of FigureB.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout, and with particular reference to Figure 1 thereof, there is shown a tractor it of conventional structure, in front of which is positioned and propelled thereby, a rotary sweeper 12, with a cover 14 enclosing the sweeper, the cover l4 being constructed according to the principles of this invention.

The cover [4 for the rotary sweeper comprises a hood l6, semi-circular in cross section and adapted'to overlie the upper portion of the rotary sweeper, said hood having depending first "and second semi-circular sides [8, l8 disposed at closed and open ends of the cover l4, respectively.

Suitably secured to the terminating portion of the front of the hood [6 is a flexible rectangular plate 20, or skirt, closing the front of the cover It below the hood I6 and having one end in alignment with the open end of the cover, with the opposite end protruding or extending be yond the opposite closed end, as seen in Figure 1 of the drawings. The flexible plate 20, of any suitable material, such as leather belting or the like, is secured at its upper edge between the lower front edge of the hood [6 and an attaching bar 22 which is bolted through said plate to said hood by bolts 26 having nuts 21 thereon. One end of the attaching bar 22 and one endof said plate 20 extend outwardly beyond the end l8 of the hood l6 and the extending end of said plate 20 is attached to the extending end of said bar 22 by bolts 26'.

Suitable means are provided to retain the flexible plate 20 in vertical depending placement and to retain the same in ground engagement and preferably comprises apair of weights of any suitable kind, such as, elongated bars 30 and 32, which are secured on either side of "the .depending edge of the flexible plate by'means of conventional bolts 34 and nuts 36.

Attached to the lower diametrically straight edge of the hood end [8 on the outer surface thereof is a bar 33, with an upper edge of a flexible shield, 48, such as leather belting or the like,

secured between the bar 38 and the end I8, by

conventional means, such as securing bolts and nuts 42. The lower edge of the flexible shield 40 extends angularly outwardly and terminates downwardly in secured placement by means of bolts 44 at the inner surface of a drag block 46. The drag block 46 may be composed of any suitable material, such as wood or the like, which is of a substantial weight, to retain the shield 40 in depending placement. Suitable means are provided to yieldingly urge the drag block 46 in engagement with the surface, street or the like and comprises a pair of extending bracket blocks 48 and 50, which protrude or extend outwardly of the side bar 38, the parallel attaching arms of the blocks being suitably secured to the side bar.

The shield 40 and drag block 46 together with end l8 of the hood l6 form the closed end of the cover I4.

Secured to the outer extended face of the blocks 48 and 50 by means of U-shaped bearing brackets 52 and 54, which are bolted to the block by means of bolts 55, are a pair of depending rods 58 and 60. The rods 58 and 60 are suitably threaded at their extremities, with one end of the rods being secured through the U-shaped brackets and retained in such seatment bymeans of the cooperating locking nuts 62 which are seated on the U-shaped brackets 54 and 52 respectively. The depending threaded ends of the rods 60 and 58 extend through suitable bores or openings vertically formed in the drag block 46,

yieldingly urge the drag block 45 into ground engagement.

Of course, an extending angle iron 14 is secured by means of bolts l6 to the lower face and inner side of the drag block 46 and serves to prevent wear and tear on the bottom of the drag block, which due to its weight and the urging of the springs 10 and i2 is maintained in constant placement on the surface of the ground.

Thus, it can be seen that when the open end of the hood, which is not provided with any depending ground engaging portion, is positioned so as to be forwardly placed relative to the drag block 46, and the brush is propelled or moved along the ground by the tractor or similar vehicle i0, the rotary brush i2 is suitably rotated and the dirt or other debris is swept up by the brush and suitably carried to the rearward-ly situated and closed end Id of the cover. It is to be apparent that the free end of the flexible front shield or plate 2a is suitably movable'in and out of the hood while the opposite protruding end is retained in vertical placement by the abutment of the plate with the extending end of the drag block 46. As is conventional in sweepers of the type described, the brush rotates so that the ground engaging portion of the brush is moving relatively opposite to the ground.-

Thus, the dirt or debris which is moved by the rotary sweeper I2 to the drag block side of the cover is retained or impounded within the cover l4, by means of the side cover 40 in cooperation with the flexible front plate 20, which is rigidified at'the extending end by the forward portion of the drag block. i i

Suitably carried or received on Thus, as the sweeper is moved along on the ground by the tractor, the dirt or debris is retained within the cover 14 and is prevented from trickling or moving out of the cover and forming windrows along the side of the path of travel of the tractor or propelling vehicle. Suitable means may be provided for raising the cover [4 to release dirt and debris to form piles, but, such means not being claimed herein has not been illustrated nor described.

It is thus apparent that there is provided a cover for a rotary brush, which will prevent the movement of dust currents up to the operator's position on the pushing vehicle and which will retain the dirt or debris, so as to later deposit the debris in a selected depositing locale. Also,

a it is to be noted that the flexible plate 20 and the end shield fill and the attaching and contiguous components of each may be utilized in association with a conventional hood or shield for a rotary or other type brush or sweeping attachment;

Since many other purposes and objectives of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art, upon a perusal of the foregoing description, in view of the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that certain changes may be effected thereon, without a departure from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A dirt retaining cover for a rotary brush comprising a hood adapted to overlie the upper portion of the brush and having a front edge and ends, a semi-rigid skirt secured to the front edge of the hood and adapted to depend therefrom in advance of the brush and having one end extended beyond the hood, ground engaging means secured to the lower edge of the skirt, an outwardly bowed flexible shield secured to and depending from one. end of the hood, a drag block secured to the lower edge of the shield and abutting at its forward end against the extended end of the skirt to prevent rearward movement of said end of the skirt, resilient means for yieldingiy retaining the block in ground engagement.

2. A dirt retaining cover .for a rotary brush comprising a hood adapted to embrace the upper portion of the brush and having a front edge and ends, a semi-rigid skirt secured to the front edge of the hood and adapted to depend therefrom in advance of the brush, one end of said skirt being extended beyond one end of the hood, ground engaging means secured to .the lower edge of the skirt, an outwardly bowed flexible shield secured to and depending from one end of the hood, a drag block secured to the lower edge of the shield and abutting at its forward end against the extended end of the skirt, supporting rods extending from said drag block, means on said end of the hood slidably mounting said rods for upward movement relative to the hood, and resilient means concentrically disposed on said rods for tensioning said rods against upward movement and yieldingly retaining said block in ground engagement.

3. A dirt retaining cover for a vehicle propelled rotary brush, said brush being disposed in advance of the vehicle and inclined relative to the axis ofthe vehicle, comprising a hood adapted to overlie the upper portion of the brush and having end walls and a front edge adapted to embrace the upper portion of the ends of the brush, a semi-rigid skirt secured to the front edge of the hood and adapted to depend therefrom parallel with and in advance of the brush, ground engaging means carried by the lower edge of the skirt, one end of said skirt being extended beyond one of the end walls of the hood, a flexible shield secured to the lower edge of said last mentioned end wall, weight means secured to the lower edge of the shield, said last means abutting against the extended end of the skirt for preventing rearward movement of-the end and resilient means for yieldingly retaining said means in ground engagement.

4. In combination with a vehicle propelled rotary brush, said brush being disposed in ad vance of the vehicle and inclined relative to the axis thereof, a dirt retaining cover for said brush comprising a hood overlying the upper portion of the brush and inclined in correspondence therewith and having depending end walls embracing'the upper portion of the ends of the brush, said hood having a front edge, a semirigid skirt secured to and depending from the front edge of the hood and disposed parallel with and in advance of the brush, one end of the skirt extendin'gbeyond the rearwardly directed end wall of the hood, ground engaging means carried by the lower edge of the skirt and disposed coextensive therewith, a flexible shield secured to the lower edge of the rearwardly directed end wall of the hood, a drag block secured to said shield, means for yieldingly urging said block in to engagement with the ground, said block having its forward end abutting against the extended end of the skirt to prevent rearward movement thereof.

5. The combination of claim 4, wherein said last named means includes a pair of vertically tending laterally from said rearwardly directed end wall of the hood and having vertical guide collars aligned with the block and adapted to slidably receive the rods.

HENRY O. BEYER. FRANK M. BAUMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 399,971 Carter et al Mar. 19, 1889 418,063 Reynolds Dec. 24, 1889 457,693 Anderson Aug. 11, 1891 517,709 Tilton Apr. 3, 1894 557,297 Williams Mar. 31, 1896 628,616 Stephens July 11, 1899 857,415 Pum June 18, 1907 886,263 Smith Apr. 28, 1908 918,602 Seymour Apr. 20, 1909 982,570 Brooks Jan. 24, 1911 1,006,611 Wefer Oct. 24, 1911 1,124,603 Furnas Jan. 12, 1915 1,286,481 Woodin Dec. 3, 1918 1,507,243 Meyer Sept. 2, 1924 2,046,679 Furstnow July 7, 1936 2,212,677 Wagner Aug. 27, 1940 

